Clippers Coach Helps Jason Kidd Regain Form

If the Clippers had lost to the New York Knicks on Sunday, a lot of unhappy L.A. fans might have pointed a finger at assistant coach Bob Thate.

While assistant coaches normally stay out of the spotlight, Thate did something unusual before Sunday's game -- he spent time working with an opposing player.

But this wasn't just any opponent. Thate met with Jason Kidd, with whom he worked on the New Jersey Nets, to give the veteran guard some pointers on his three-point shooting. Kidd was in need of some coaching, as he had shot 2-for-17 in the Knicks' four previous games.

"He helped me out a little bit, what I was doing wrong," Kidd told the New York Daily News. "I've known him for a long time, his family. I'm happy he's working with the Clippers and Blake (Griffin). He just pointed out a couple of things, just trying to help you out."

The 20-minute tutorial between Thate and Kidd was so rare that Jeff Van Gundy called it "one of the most interesting things" he's seen in a long time.

And at the end of the day, everyone went home happy. Kidd shook off his cold streak and nailed his first three three-pointers of the game. Meanwhile, the Clippers won the game, so Thate avoided any finger-pointing.